Month: April 2024

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 30, 2024 /3BL/ – This Earth Day, the Duke Energy Foundation awarded $500,000 in grants to local nonprofits in North Carolina focused on environmental justice and climate resiliency.

“North Carolina is at the forefront of the energy transition, with local communities experiencing unprecedented growth and opportunity,” said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president. “We remain committed to investing in our resilient state, working alongside nonprofits to strengthen our communities, economy, environment and natural resources.”

Eighteen organizations will receive grants. While some are focused on keeping ecosystems healthy in North Carolina – including the 51,165 acres of Duke Energy protected habitat for plants and wildlife at lakes and rivers – others are dedicated to preparing vulnerable communities for impacts of climate change.

“Communities across North Carolina have seen firsthand the lasting impacts from storms and excessive rainfall,” said Cynthia Satterfield, executive director of Conservation Trust for North Carolina. “We are grateful that Duke Energy recognizes the importance of building resilient communities equipped to reduce and manage flood risk and that they are helping fund this critical mission.”

Duke Energy employees and retirees are also volunteering their time and efforts throughout the month of April to support environmental programs in their local communities. The North Carolina Wildlife Federation, a long-standing Duke Energy philanthropic partner, sees this as an important avenue for environmental progress.

“Earth Day is an important reminder that all of us can play a part in mitigating climate change impacts,” said Tim Gestwicki, CEO of the NC Wildlife Federation. “Particularly in urban, marginalized NC communities – where the heat island effect is exacerbated and negatively affects both people and wildlife – something as simple as planting a tree or picking up trash can go a long way to help restore wildlife habitat.”

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders. More information about the Foundation can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and advanced nuclear.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

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Stuart Weitzman, part of Tapestry’s iconic house of brands, is proud to partner with Mercado Global, a women’s empowerment and ethical fashion non-profit, for their Spring 2024 Collection. The collaboration was born from the idea of pairing traditional, artisanal handcrafted fabrics with modern footwear design. Stuart Weitzman’s designers created a limited-edition ikat print jacquard textile crafted by the non-profit’s partner Indigenous artisanal communities in Latin America, specifically women artisans in Guatemala. 

To craft the fabric, the artisans first dye specific areas of the yarn using the resist-dyeing technique to create the distinctive ikat pattern. Then, drawing upon centuries-old craftsmanship of Latin American textiles, they loom weave the dyed yarn into fabric. The fabric is shipped to the Stuart Weitzman shoemaking factories in Spain, where their team of expert artisans craft them into our newest sandal silhouettes for spring. 

The partnership is more than a design venture: Incorporating textiles made by Indigenous artisanal communities in Latin America into luxury pieces represents a powerful step towards a future where ethical production methods and elevated design seamlessly intertwine in the fashion industry. 

“This partnership with Stuart Weitzman not only provides work opportunities to women artisans in Guatemala, but it also brings the cultural significance of traditional Latin American handmade textiles to the forefront,” says Mercado Global Founder & Executive Director, Ruth Álvarez-DeGolia. “It celebrates and helps further preserve a centuries-old tradition, and we are thrilled to be able to bring this history of craftsmanship to Stuart Weitzman’s own storied history of craftsmanship in luxury footwear.” 

This collaboration stays true to the brand’s social impact purpose of empowering strength in communities, and, as the first time partnering with Indigenous artisans in Latin America, it also resonates with the brand’s ethos of creating beautiful, artisan-crafted accessories designed to inspire confidence. 

“As a global brand that stands for uplifting women around the world, Stuart Weitzman is proud to partner with Mercado Global and support the empowerment of Indigenous women artisans in Guatemala to make meaningful change in their communities,” says Stuart Weitzman CEO & Brand President, Giorgio Sarné. 

The styles are available to shop on stuartweitzman.com, in select Stuart Weitzman boutiques around the globe and in select Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom locations.